Dinner at The Better Half 2/14/09
Instead of giving presents to each other, we decided to splurge on a really nice dinner for Valentine's Day. We ate at the Better Half a few months ago for my birthday and took advantage of their stressed economy special, an amazing $15 for a 3-course meal of this level!
During warmer days, you can sit right in front and watch your meal be prepared in the kitchen.
We were the first ones to arrive for the early seating, and took the corner table. I didn't bring my ultra-wide angle with me since I wanted to travel light, but I sure could have used it....
Instead of trying to figure out which bottle went with which dish, we just ordered wine by the glass from the menu- they suggested parings for each dish. We had our choice of a couple selections per course, four courses in all.
Starting with an amuse bouche of blue cheese mousse in a tulip cup with caviar, chive batons, and rose petals. The blue cheese flavor melded well with the prosecco sparkling wine Heather ordered. The rose petals are a sublte reminder of the "holiday", and other Valentine's reminders showed up in subsequent dishes.
Heather's first course was a mixed-green salad with pecans, rasberries, and herb-crusted goat cheese
I ordered the truffled mushroom bisque with wild mushroom terrine. The bowl is served with the terrine in place. To make the terrine, they fill a mold with wild mushrooms and then refrigerate it for a couple days so that it holds shape when the mushroom bisque is poured over top of it at the table. As a mushroom lover, it was a delight. Taking one basic flavor, mushrooms in this case, and creating a dish that contrasts texture and temperature is very interesting and tasty. But it didn't really photograph well, so I just ate it.
The second couse for both of us was butternut squash ravioli with a brown butter and bittersweet chocolate sauce.
They were very tender and light, almost slippery. Heather's only compliant was that mine had more chocolate sauce than hers.
Before the main courses showed up, we had a rasberry sorbet to cleanse the palate, served in a mini cone.
Heather had the half-lobster souffle with asparaus and lemon tarragon butter.
I had the pan-seared petite filet with garlic mashed potatoes, blue cheese dressing and tomatoes with chocolate madeira sauce. It went perfectly with the suggested petite syrah.
I was shooting from Heather's side of the table to catch some nicer light, so I didn't notice that I missed focus until later. Dessert was a bread pudding with sour cherries...
...and a peach tart with cherries-jubilee sauce.
The end of the evening was capped off with some surprises from the kitchen, a pair of white chocolate truffles... 
...and a rose for the lady.
It was a great night and I would recommend the Better Half to anyone. This was a fairly expensive dinner compared to what we usually spend when we go out, but that's what their regular special is for. Tonight was about enjoying the sweetest things life has to offer, and sharing it with the sweetest thing my life has offered me, my wife. Happy Valentine's day, Hedda Lettuce.
During warmer days, you can sit right in front and watch your meal be prepared in the kitchen.
We were the first ones to arrive for the early seating, and took the corner table. I didn't bring my ultra-wide angle with me since I wanted to travel light, but I sure could have used it....
Instead of trying to figure out which bottle went with which dish, we just ordered wine by the glass from the menu- they suggested parings for each dish. We had our choice of a couple selections per course, four courses in all.
Starting with an amuse bouche of blue cheese mousse in a tulip cup with caviar, chive batons, and rose petals. The blue cheese flavor melded well with the prosecco sparkling wine Heather ordered. The rose petals are a sublte reminder of the "holiday", and other Valentine's reminders showed up in subsequent dishes.
Heather's first course was a mixed-green salad with pecans, rasberries, and herb-crusted goat cheese
I ordered the truffled mushroom bisque with wild mushroom terrine. The bowl is served with the terrine in place. To make the terrine, they fill a mold with wild mushrooms and then refrigerate it for a couple days so that it holds shape when the mushroom bisque is poured over top of it at the table. As a mushroom lover, it was a delight. Taking one basic flavor, mushrooms in this case, and creating a dish that contrasts texture and temperature is very interesting and tasty. But it didn't really photograph well, so I just ate it.
The second couse for both of us was butternut squash ravioli with a brown butter and bittersweet chocolate sauce.
They were very tender and light, almost slippery. Heather's only compliant was that mine had more chocolate sauce than hers.
Before the main courses showed up, we had a rasberry sorbet to cleanse the palate, served in a mini cone.
Heather had the half-lobster souffle with asparaus and lemon tarragon butter.
I had the pan-seared petite filet with garlic mashed potatoes, blue cheese dressing and tomatoes with chocolate madeira sauce. It went perfectly with the suggested petite syrah.
I was shooting from Heather's side of the table to catch some nicer light, so I didn't notice that I missed focus until later. Dessert was a bread pudding with sour cherries...
...and a peach tart with cherries-jubilee sauce.
The end of the evening was capped off with some surprises from the kitchen, a pair of white chocolate truffles...
...and a rose for the lady.
It was a great night and I would recommend the Better Half to anyone. This was a fairly expensive dinner compared to what we usually spend when we go out, but that's what their regular special is for. Tonight was about enjoying the sweetest things life has to offer, and sharing it with the sweetest thing my life has offered me, my wife. Happy Valentine's day, Hedda Lettuce.
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